High School Teacher Forced To Remove Religious Poster From Classroom

An empty classroom of the Nisitenma elementary school in Osaka is seen on May 18, 2009. Japan has confirmed 129 swine flu cases and shuttered more than 2,000 schools and kindergartens in a bid to slow the spread of the virus that may already have infected hundreds. AFP PHOTO / Kazuhiro NOGI (Photo credit should read KAZUHIRO NOGI/AFP/Getty Images)One of two teachers at a Louisiana high school is facing felony charges as a continuing investigation looks into allegations that two female teachers had sexual relations with the same 16-year-old male student. (credit: KAZUHIRO NOGI/AFP/Getty Images)

CHEROKEE COUNTY, TX(CBS Houston) – A high school teacher was forced to remove a religious poster after a student took offense and sent a photo of the poster to the Freedom from Religion Foundation.

Rusk Independent School District administrators told the teacher to remove the poster after superintendent Scott Davis received a letter from the organization. The poster featured a Bible scripture scrolled into a cross.

Davis said that poster and others had to be removed because “a teacher acting in that manner is in violation of the establishment clause” in the first amendment.

Rusk High School senior Cameron Franks disagreed with the poster being removed and decided to hang the poster in his home reminding him of his faith in Jesus.

“We’ve walked our halls for 4 years and we’ve been persecuted and called hypocrites and everybody that’s a Christian, I’m sure they’ve had that time in their life when they’ve been persecuted and I knew it was time to take a stand,” Franks told KTRE.

Franks decided to design a t-shirt, practicing his own first amendment rights.

“I didn’t think this was such a good idea at first but then I was like you know what I don’t care anymore,” Franks said to KTRE. “I’m tired of it. I’m tired of hiding in the corner and so I was like I’m going to do it and I’m going to see how the reactions are and if they’re negative so-be it and if they’re positive so-be it.”

His shirts have quickly grown popular in the community and across the country with more than 2,000 orders already placed.

“I’ve gotten phone calls and messages from teachers and principal from other schools saying that hey we want to help out in this,” Franks shared.

The shirts cost $5 but Franks is also receiving donations and sponsorships from the community for those who can’t afford to purchase a shirt so they can have one for free.

“The whole idea is that we want to raise enough money to just get everyone a shirt that can’t afford one. I mean mainly students and schools right now and citizens that want a shirt that can’t get one. We want to raise enough money for them to be able to have one and to be able to support what we believe in,” Franks explained.